Register-operating mechanism.



PN. ALBERGAMO.

REGISTER OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29. 19l6 l12"57,443 Patente Feb. 26,1918.

45 IMT NICHOLAS ALBERGAMO, 0F CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.

REGISTER-OPERATING MEcHANIsM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

VPatented Feb. 26, 191s.

Application led September 29, 1916. Serial N o. 122,940.

To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, NICHOLAS ALBERGAMO, a subject of the Kin of Italy, and a resident of Charleston, in t e county of Charleston and State of South Carolina, have invented ya certain new and useful Improvement in Register-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to register operating mechanism embodying a register, a treadle operated circuit control mechanism, and electro-magnetic means disposed in operative relation to said circuit control mechanism and register to actuate the latter by operation of the former.

The principal obj ects of my inventions are to provide automatic registers which are operated by persons passing over treadles, particularly useful for registering the number of persons entering or leaving a building, such as a theater, or vehicles, boats, etc., where it is desirable to obtain accurate record, preferably without the persons being conscious of the counting; apparatus of the character described where the actuating mechanism may be remote from the registering mechanism, or with the former in connection with a portable object, such as a gang plank, and at the latter at some point, as on the boat, or on the wharf; and, apparatus of the character described which will register the persons passing over the treadle in one direction only.

Other objects of my invention will appear in the ollowin detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanyin drawing, forming a part of this specification, and in which drawing:

Fi re l is a diagrammatic view showing e ectrical connections between a register and circuit control mechanism, the former being shown in elevation with a portion oi the casing in section, and the latter in plan, with aportion of the tread surface broken away, to disclose details.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the register.

Fi 3 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the mechanism as having been operated to complete acircuit. v

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. f

In the drawing, where similar characters refer to similar parts throughout the several. views, A designates a register ;v B electromagnetic means which will operate the said register; C an audible electrically operated signal; and D, circuit control mechanism for the means B and signal C.

Referring first to the register A, it may be of any suitable type, in the example shown, comprising a plurality of dials 6 having delineations 7 thereon, such as numerals; a shaft 8 on which said dials are mounted and arranged in any suitable manner to be progressively moved circumferentially one digit as the dial carrying the delineations representing units is given one complete turn, or any dial of the set toward that bearing the delineation representing units; a ratchet wheel 9 carried by standard 10; a pawl 11 adapted to engage with the teeth ot' said ratchet wheel; an oscillatable lever 12 mounted on a shaft 13 of wheel 9 and supporting the pawl 11; and, motion transmitting means 14, such as a gear 15 rigid with shaft 13, a co-meshing gear 16 on shaft 8, and a pawl 17 acting upon gear 15 preventing movement thereof except in one direction.

The electro-magnetic means B may comprise electro-magnets 18 including cores 19; an armature 20 disposed in operative rela tion to said cores and oscillatable about a standard 21; a yieldable contact 22; a setscrew 23 engaging yieldable contact 22 and adjustable to limit the amplitude of oscillation of armature 20 in one direction; and, motion transmitting means 2st intermediate the armature 20 and the register A. The means 2l may include a yieldable arm 25 carried by armature 20; a lever 26 rigid with lever 12 of register A; and, a. link 27 between arm 25 and lever 26. It' desired, the arm 25 may carry a standard 28, and a contracting spring 29 may be interposed between said standard and the free end of paw] 11 opposite to that portion engaging the teeth of ratchet wheel 9. Thus, as the electro-magnets 1S are energized, the armature 20 is drawn toward the cores 19, and

through motion transmitting means 24;, the pawl 11 is drawn toward the electro-niagnet means, advancing the ratchet wheel 9 one notch, and moving the dial 6 nea-rest gear' 15 one digit.

The audible signal C may be of any suitable type, and in the example shown, is in the form of an electrically operated device including the usual bell 30 and tappet 31.

Referring now to the circuit control "mechanism, it includes a treadle 32 Capable of conducting a current, as by being formed of conducting material such as iron, said treadle capable of oscillation about a. horizontal anis intermediate its forward margin 33, and rear margin 34, as by means of rollers operating in tracks 36; .a stationary contact 3T insulated from treadle 32 as by being mounted upon a base 3S, such as cement; a stop, 39, such as a strip of insulating material arranged on an upright face of contact 37 as is clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing; and, means 40, such as springs, normally positioning the treadle 32 .remote :trom the stop 39 and Contact 37, with the lower face of the treadle above the upper t'ace of the stationary Contact, as is clearly shown `in F ig. 3 of the drawing.

It is preferred to form the rollers 35 :substantially ,elliptical in cross section, and the tracks including .an upper set of flanges 41 embracing the upper portion of the roller and a lower set ol' flanges 42 embracing the lower part of its respective roller, preyenting oscillation of the treadle about an upright axis. lt is also preferred to decline the tracks 36 toward the stop v39 and stationary contact 37 for a purpose to be subsequently set forth.

When assembling the circuit control mechanism into operatiye relation to thek electromagnetic means B and the ,audible signal C, an electric generator 43 is provided, one pole of which may be conductively connected with the treadle 32 as through wire 44, and in the example shown, the tracks 36, roller 35, and its shaft 45 grounded on treadle 32 being of conducting material. The other pole of the battery 43 may be connected with the electro-magnets 18 and armature :2O by wire 46, and with one pole of the audible signal C, as by wire 4T. The stationaryT contact 3T is in conduct-ive communication with the set-screw 23, as by wire 48, and the other pole ot audible signal C, as through wire 49.

The operation of the appara-tus is as follows z- Assuming that a person approaches the treadle 3Q in the. direction indicated by arrow in Figs. 3 and 4, as the foot engages that portion ot the treadle adjacent the forward margin 33, the forward stride will vforce the treadle 32 into engagement with stationary contact 37, completing an electric circuit and operating the electro-magnetic mechanism B and audible signal C. lnasmuch as the track is declined toward said contact 37, the treadle will remain in engagement with the stationary contact until the person mores from the treadle, whereai'ter devices 40 will draw the treadle back to a normal position, breaking the circuit. Should the person approach the circuit control mechanism in aA direction counter to that indicated by arrows in Figs. 3 and 4, the foot engaging the treadle 32 adjacent margin 34 will first depress that portion of the treadlel and the treadle at margin 34 will engage the stop 39, or strip of insulating material, the treadle moving forwardlyowing to the position kof track 36 with respect to the stop 39. Inasmuch as the springs 40 .have a tendencyv to yieldably position the treadle remote from the stationary contact 37, the stride of the person will not throw the treadle so as kto engage the stationary contact 37 and the circuit of electro-magnetic means B wil-l remain broken.

Changes in ,details of construction or wiring may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention; but,

l. In an automatic circuit closer, the combination of a stationary contact, an insulating element in front of said contact-,a-treadle capable of conducting a circuit, oscillatable about a horizontal axis intermediate its forward and rear margins, and movable to engage .said insulating clement or stationary contact, yieldable Vmeans for normally positioning said treadle remote from said stationary contact and element, with its lower face above the upper face of said stationary contact, 4and an electric circuit including said treadle and. stationary contact to complete a circuit when said treadlc engages said stationary contact.

2. In an kautomat-ic circuit closer, the combination of `a stationary contact, .an insulating element in. fron-t Vot saidfcontact, a treadle capable of conducting current, rollers carried by said vtreadle permitting Ithe same to oscillate by the horizontal axis intermediate its forward and rear margins, tracks 'for said rollers guiding said treadle in a path of movement to engage said insulating element or stationary contact, yieldable means for normally positioning said treadle remote from said stationary contact and element, with its lower face above the upper face of said stationary contact, and circuit conductors leading from said treadle and stationary contact, to complete al circuit when said treadleengages said :stationary contact.

3. In an automatic circuit closer, the combination of a stationary contact, au insulating element in front of said contact, a treadle capable of conducting current, rollers carried Aby said treadle permitting the same to oscillate by the horizontal axis intermediate its forward and rear margins, tracks for said rollers guiding said treadle in a path of above the upper face of said stationary conmovement to engage said insulating element tact, and circuit conductors connected to or stationary Contact, said tracks declining said treadle and stationary contact, to com- 10 toward said element and stationary contact, plete a circuit when said treadle engages said yieldable means for normally positioning stationary contact.

said treadle remote from said f stationary contact and element, with its lower face NICHOLAS ALBERGAMO.

Copies of this potent my be obtained for nve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

